2v2 + 2 Servers Rondo — Losing Your Marker and the Third Player
Losing your marker and progressing with forward passes
Use this when…
- Our passes keep getting intercepted.
- Players can't lose their marker.
- Support after a forward pass arrives too late.
Setup & rules
- The servers (orange) stand near the lines at both ends and move sideways only
- The attackers (blue) keep the ball using the two servers; getting the ball to the server on the opposite side counts as a successful progression
- A direct pass from server to server is allowed, but the server who receives it must play it first time
- The defenders (pink) swap with the attackers when they win the ball
Key factors
- Always create width and depth as a pair (don't stand on the same horizontal line — one player takes a slightly higher position or moves wide, so the defenders can't pick a target)
- Lose your marker before you receive (use a feint or a preparatory movement to create a moment of freedom and draw the pass)
- If the forward passing lane to the server is cut, the option of a cut-in (a diagonal dribble inside) opens new passing lanes and spaces in the centre or on the far side
- When you can read that a server is about to pass to the other server, get beyond the defensive line quickly to support
- Think "don't let them pass through the gap between the two of us easily": one defender approaches the ball (challenge), the other fills the space behind (cover)
Progressions
- The coach deliberately controls whether to allow dribbling past defenders (no dribbling past if you want the focus only on progressing by passing / actively use dribbles against the defender if you want it closer to a match)
- Use the middle line as an offside line
- In your own half (the first zone), you can also add constraints such as two-touch to focus more on combinations and the quality of movement
Kazu's notes FROM THE COACH
Common mistakes:
The defenders mark man-to-man and the ball is passed through the central gap → stop play once and ask, "Why did that pass get through so easily just now?" Then explain the reasoning: the two defenders need to take care of the space between them.
The attackers stop moving after receiving → ask, "The pass isn't the end. Where can you move next to create a chance?" and encourage them to stay involved in play continuously.
Use this drill in your own session
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